Editorial illustration for OpenAI Forms Expert Council to Steer ChatGPT and Sora Development
OpenAI Expert Council Guides ChatGPT and Sora Ethics
Expert Council to Guide ChatGPT and Sora Well-Being Development
OpenAI just raised the stakes in responsible AI development. The company has quietly formed an eight-person Expert Council focused on understanding the human impact of its most advanced technologies, including ChatGPT and the video generation tool Sora.
The move signals a strategic shift toward proactively addressing potential psychological and emotional consequences of generative AI. By bringing together researchers who specialize in technology's complex interactions with human behavior, OpenAI appears to be taking a more nuanced approach to product development.
This isn't just another corporate advisory board. The council represents a serious attempt to examine how AI might influence user experiences beyond pure technical performance. Their mandate suggests OpenAI wants to look deeper than just technological capability - they're investigating the human side of artificial intelligence.
The stakes are high. As ChatGPT and Sora become more sophisticated, understanding their potential emotional and psychological implications could be important for responsible idea.
We’ve assembled the Expert Council on Well-Being and AI to help guide our ongoing work to build more helpful ChatGPT and Sora experiences for everyone. The eight-person council brings together leading researchers and experts with decades of experience studying how technology affects our emotions, motivation, and mental health. Their role is to advise us, pose questions and help define what healthy interactions with AI should look like for all ages.
Earlier this year, we began consulting many of these experts informally, such as when we were developing parental controls(opens in a new window) and the notification language for parents when a teen may be in distress. As we formalized the new council, we broadened our search to include additional experts in psychology, psychiatry, and human-computer interaction, bringing in new perspectives on how people relate to and are affected by technology. Because teens use ChatGPT differently than adults, we’ve also included several council members with backgrounds in understanding how to build technology that supports healthy youth development.
OpenAI's latest move suggests a nuanced approach to AI development beyond pure technological advancement. By forming an Expert Council focused on well-being, the company signals growing awareness about AI's potential psychological impacts.
The eight-person council represents a strategic effort to understand how AI interactions might influence human emotions and mental health. Their diverse expertise could help shape more responsible AI experiences across different user demographics.
Researchers will likely explore complex questions about healthy AI engagement. What constitutes meaningful interaction? How might ChatGPT or Sora affect user motivation and emotional states?
This initiative hints at OpenAI's broader commitment to creating technology that considers human psychological well-being. Rather than rushing toward capability, the company appears interested in understanding potential human-AI relationship dynamics.
Still, many details remain unclear. The council's specific recommendations and buildation strategies are yet to be revealed. But the proactive approach suggests OpenAI wants to get ahead of potential psychological challenges posed by increasingly sophisticated AI systems.
Further Reading
- Updating our Model Spec with teen protections - OpenAI
- OpenAI adds teen safety rules to ChatGPT model behavior - EdTech Innovation Hub
- OpenAI updates Model Spec with U18 teen protections, ... - YourStory
Common Questions Answered
What is the primary purpose of OpenAI's new Expert Council?
The Expert Council is designed to understand and guide the human impact of advanced AI technologies like ChatGPT and Sora. Their role involves studying how AI interactions affect human emotions, motivation, and mental health, with the goal of creating more responsible and psychologically supportive AI experiences.
How many researchers are part of OpenAI's Expert Council on Well-Being and AI?
OpenAI has assembled an eight-person Expert Council composed of leading researchers with extensive experience studying technology's psychological impacts. These experts bring decades of knowledge about how technological interactions can influence human behavior and emotional well-being.
What does OpenAI hope to achieve by forming this specialized council?
OpenAI aims to proactively address the potential psychological and emotional consequences of generative AI technologies. By bringing together experts who can pose critical questions and help define healthy AI interactions, the company is signaling a more nuanced approach to technological development that goes beyond pure technical advancement.